Method of knitting stockings



Feb. 3) 1925- v 1,524,834-

J. W. MARTIN METHOD OF KNITTING STOCKINGS Filed Aug. 20, 1921 JuliusWMari'm Patented Feb 3, 1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS W. MARTIN, O]? NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO MAY H'OSIERYMILLS, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

METHOD OF KNITTING STOCKINGS.

Application filed August 20, 1921. Serial No. 493,930.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS W. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of KnittingStockings, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to stockings formed of a ribbed leg and plainfoot. It has hitherto been customary to knit the leg on a ribber with awelt at the upper end and a loose course at the lower end fortransferring to a foot, the loose course being followed by a series ofraveling courses and sometimes an additional loose course or othervariation in structure. In transferring each stitch of the first loosecourse is placed on a point of the transfer ring which is provided witha number of points to correspond with the number of needles of thefooting machine. ferred to the needles of the foot knitting machine, itbeing essential that -every stitch.

should be held by a needle. If any stitch is not so held it will cause arun-back and so render the productdefective.

It'is an object of my invention to provide a stocking and method ofmaking by which no particular care need be exercised in transferring andthus insure greater productlon besides making it possible for unskilledla-- borers to perform the work which. has hitherto called forconsiderable training and skill,

and which will enable the work to be performed on knitting machines ofthe type in common use, without change or any add tional attachments.This I do by the foot at that end of the tubular leg piece 'frave'l. Iprefer to use an ordinary edging which ordinarily constitutes the toend'pf the stocking, or otherwise stated 7 I the position ofthe partconstituting the leg.

Referring to the accompanying drawin which is made a part hereof and on.whic similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a section of rib work used in the stockingof my invention, and i s Figure 2, an elevation of the stocking with afoot knitted on to said section of rib knitting.

In knitting m improved stocking I form a tube 10 on a rildber of anyusual type in the ordinary manner,'this tube being provided Said leg isthen trans-' is knit on in'the usual manner.

the (bottom of the leg with a course of loose stitches 11 which forms aguide in cutting" off the tube, the purpose being to cut directlythrough such course in separating the stocking lengths. After thiscourse of loose stitches I knit a course of tuck stitches 12 and followthis with another row of loose stitches. The second row of loosestitches 13 forms a guide for the operator in placing the fabricdirectly on the needles of the footing machine. In this way it ispossible for the operator to place the tube substantially straight onthe ring but it being unnecessary to pay attention to the usualrequirement of placing every stitch on a point it is possible to per ormthis operation in muchless time. The lack of suchnecessity is due to thewell known fact that ribbed fabric ravels only in one direction, thatdirection being from the end last knit toward the end first knit.

After knitting' the second loose course the tube of ribbed work isformed in ordinary manner for nearly the length of the le any desireddecorative structure being ma e near the upper end after which ordinaryribbed knitting is resumed followed by a loose course, a tuck course andanother loose course as previously explained.

When removed from the ribber the tube is cut into lengths by cuttingthrough the first loose course at the point indicated by the knife 14.The stocking leg is then attached to the needles of the footing machineas above explained after which the foot '15 w The top of leg as heremade will, of course, ravel will be understood and any usual expe ent'may be adopted forpreventing such machine for this purpose, as will bereadily In the subsequent handling as for dyeing and the like 'the'loosepieces of yarn constituting one-half of the cut stitches of the loosecourse will come out leaving only the ankle. It is to be understood thatin actual understood, but any appropriate method. may be: employed.

practice this flap is very narrow and being substantially similar inappearance to the ribbed leg it will not attract attention. In this wayI am enabled to avoid the use of the transfer ring entirely and provideat less cost than usual a stocking having substantially all of theadvantages of a transferred stocking having a strong and sure jointbetween the foot and the leg and which cannot possibly form runs upwardfrom the transfer point.

This structure may be used in manufacturing ordinary stockings but allkinds of hose such as golf hose and minor variations may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scopeof theappended claims. I

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. That process of making a stocking which comprises knitting a ribbedleg with a loose course near the non-raveling end, transferring this endof the leg to a footer and knitting a foot thereon, substantially as setforth.

2. That process of, making a stocking which comprises knitting a ribbedleg with a loose course preceded by a course of tuck stitches at thenon-raveling end, transferring the fabric to the needles of a footersubstantially at the zone of said loose course and knitting a footthereon, substantially as set forth.

3. A method of forming stockings comprising knitting tubular ribbedfabric as string-work having at intervals a loose course, a course oftuck stitches and a second loose course in succession, severing thelengths of fabric substantially along the line of the first loosecourse, transferring each length to the needles of a footersubstantially along the line of the second loose course, knitting a footthereon and finishing the opposite end of the tube to prevent raveling,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Vashington,District of Columbia, this eighteenth day of August, A. D. nineteenhundred and twenty-one.

JULIUS W. MARTIN. [n s] Witnesses:

E. W. BRADFORD, 0. M. KEYs.

